Saturday, August 27, 2016

Are you tired of watermelon yet? I started eating it in May this year, but I could eat it all year long. Plus it's fun to paint :)

So, I have a fun watercolor watermelon tutorial for all you watercolor painters over at the Craftsy Painting Blog. This is my first post as a contributor at Craftsy so check it out the tell me what you think!

Thursday, August 25, 2016

I don't usually paint with yellow. It hasn't been my favorite color, but lately, when I combine it with greens and some teal, I'm liking it more. Maybe it's the colors of late summer affecting my moods. I'll go with it :)

Here's another teepee painting- now in my Etsy Shop. Yellow works with this one :)

And here are some abstracts and florals..........

I also have some watercolor cactus projects in the works, so you can look forward to those tutorials!

Do you like the color yellow? What colors do you like to combine with it?

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

I'm being brave today and showing you some of my creative world.................... with me in it!

I don't do this very often because I'd rather be photographing nature, watercolor paintings, or my cute kid than myself, so here ya go!

This is my little corner of the house, the art room. If I'm in a really creative mood, this room can get crazy. Like pretty messy! And I'm a clean sort of person too. I guess this room is my one exception. The messier the room is the more I have been creating.

I rarely work on just one project at a time. I have around five projects going on at any given time. I'd probably be more efficient if I just finished one before moving on to the next, but I have to create when I'm in the mood to make a particular thing. That's how it works! You force it too much and it doesn't turn out as well.

Current Projects include:Figures and Flowers watercolor series: I draw figures in ink and add watercolor flowers in the hair, like my Flower Head Girl and my Flower Dreamer paintings. My goal is to one day get into an actual art gallery, so I'm taking my time to get a good series of paintings together.Watercolor Tutorials for Craftsy: I'm just starting out as a blog contributor over at the Craftsy Painting Blog! Very exciting! I'll be posting watercolor tutorials over there, 2-3 a month. First up is a Watermelon Slice Tutorial- it's coming out on Aug. 27th! Boho Teepee Watercolors:I've been working on a couple of Teepee Watercolors and I'm not done with them yet! You can see my first two paintings over at my Etsy Shop.Crochet Shawl:I started up a granny shawl this summer and hope to finish it by this fall. It's a fun experiment :)

Frame Painting:

I am forever collecting thrift store frames and giving them makeovers. I will probably never quite finish that project because I always have new pieces that need frames!

I can't quite express how lucky I feel to have a dedicated room in my house for these projects. It's my little escape and it's a place where I can make my watercolor dreams come to life. It's bright and happy. It's full of inspiring colors and images. I only end up painting a small portion of what I want to paint, but that's ok. I still have a life time of painting ahead of me!

Where do you create? What is your space like? And yes, the kitchen counts because food is a creative art form too :)

Monday, August 22, 2016

We went to an aviary, took a small paddle boat out on a scummy pond, went swimming with my sister, went peach-picking, visited family, and spent some quality time at a beautiful park. I savored every moment of that week because I have to admit, I hate sending my only child back to school each fall. It rips my heart out! Does anyone else feel that way?

I thought that by second grade, it would be a little easier to let him go, but not so much for me. Our summer was better than in years past. I had better health to do more and so I'm sad to see it end. At least my little guy had an excellent first day of school. That eases the pain a bit :)

Friday, August 19, 2016

My art room is a mess right now. That's a sure sign that a lot of creative things have been happening in there!

Like this Boho Watercolor Teepee with flowers on top. I'm excited about this one :)

The more I experiment with watercolor flowers and patterns, the easier it is to improvise and pull them out when I need them. One valuable tool and artist or illustrator can acquire is a kind of visual library. Memories of images that let you paint certain things without having to stop and think or look at the real thing for visual cues. You just know how it should look and you do it!

I feel like I'm just beginning to develop that, so I have a long way to go. But I think it's worth the effort.

So for now, I'm enjoying the mess on my art table. It's full of fun colorful things, so I don't mind the mess!

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Cacti have such lovely organic shapes and they come in more colors than you would think. And not all cacti have to be green. They can be blue, purple, or even pink! And for craft purposes, they can be any color you want. So go ahead and dream of coral or teal cactus- your options are limitless.

If you're in the mood for a Western or Mexican-themed party or just want something to liven up your wall space, try out this cardboard cactus tutorial. You won't be sad you tried it!

Draw cactus shapes on cardboard and cut them out. Don't be too picky about the shapes. Cactus are very round and oval-ish. Improvise or look at some cactus to get an idea of their shapes. You can draw a variety or saguaro or barrel cactus. Even prickly pears are easy to create. You can draw them on cereal boxes, shoe boxes, any cardboard you have lying around.

Using acrylic craft paints, paint each cactus shape completely on one side. You may want to pick an analogous color scheme like my blues and greens, it's up to you! Let the paint dry completely.

Using a contrasting color, paint lines for the spikes of the cactus. You can paint long lines to give contour and shape to the saguaro cactus or short little lines for spikes on the other cactus. Let the paint dry completely again.

4. Make mini tissue paper flowers or use small fake silk flowers. Get creative with the color and have fun with this part. Attach the flowers to the tops of the cactus with tape or glue.

Monday, August 15, 2016

I'm so happy I stopped to photography you on the way to pick up my son from science camp. It was worth the stop :)

I love driving around older, more established neighborhoods just to admire the plants sometimes (as long as it's in a safe area). I love my new neighborhood, but the trees are puny and there is a general lack of greenery at the moment. A neighborhood takes time to mature and ours is only a year old.

So while I wait for everyone's plants to get planted and grow up, I content myself with driving around greener areas, collecting ideas for what I want in my own yard. I'd love a trumpet vine!

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

I've been painting lots of custom portraits this summer! Some have taken a lot of work and some have taken a couple of tries to get right, but I love creating special pieces that have meaning for people. That kind of work is fulfilling.

And then, as always, I've been experimenting with more floral designs. Some of these may end up on some wedding invites for my little sister!

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Last week was our 10th wedding anniversary!! We celebrated with some dinner and a walk in the woods. We like simple dates :)

I posted this little tribute to my hubby on Instagram- I thought I'd share it here too: 10 years ago I married a good, patient man who loves learning and loves the Savior. I married a man who thinks of others so much more than himself. I had only seen the very surface of his character 10 years ago. Throughout the years of illness, raising an only child, job loss, infertility, many life changes, many family walks and late night talks with this man, I've seen the depth of his character and I know I married the right man for me. A man who will stay by my side no matter what life throws at us. A man who will always do what is right and sacrifice for his family. I hope the next 10 years give us smoother waters! I know that no matter what, we will always find a way to be happy together. That's what the last 10 years have taught us.

Monday, August 1, 2016

It must be their cool leaves and texture. And maybe the fact that they are tropical and make you feel like you are somewhere fun and beautiful. I plan to print one of these photos in a large format for my kitchen one day. I took so many photos- it will be hard to choose!

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